


He alone, who owns the youth, gains the future

by OhHamilton



Series: The Benevolent Overlord [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Child Abuse, Harry and Severus get together later on, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Pre-Slash, Ron Weasley Bashing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-11
Updated: 2019-09-19
Packaged: 2020-10-14 13:42:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20601740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OhHamilton/pseuds/OhHamilton
Summary: The second instalment of my Benevolent Overlord series. This is set in the summer between Harry's fifth and sixth years. Voldemort has been defeated, but something new, something different is stirring.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome back! This one is a bit shorter than the last, but it's just the summer, I hope you enjoy!!

* * *

Hunger gnawed at his insides. It had been a week since he had stepped off the Hogwarts express. The last weeks of June had slipped by in a haze of pain and ever-increasing hunger. There had been no chores so far. Vernon had hustled him into the car, driving to Privet Drive in an enraged silence. By the time they had reached the house, Vernon was an uncomfortable shade of puce.

With little ceremony, Harry had been hauled to his room, which looked more like a cell, and thrown in. He was locked in, listening to the fading footsteps of the man. Eventually, he could hear banging in the distance, probably his trunk being locked under the stairs, before the steps returned and the door opened. What followed was a thorough beating. Vernon had removed his belt and strapped every inch of Harry’s body. He ensured that nothing broke and no blood was shed but it was just the beginning.

They settled into a routine, he would be given a small jug of tepid water each morning and a bowl of watery porridge after he had suffered through a short but thorough beating. Vernon would come to see him after dinner for a shorter more intense session during the week. On the weekend, his afternoon was filled with a lengthy beating until he fell unconscious. 

His days were spent in dazed agony, drifting in and out of consciousness as every inch of his body hurt. By the end of the week, most of the work Snape had put into restoring his body to some semblance of health was destroyed. Whenever thoughts of the Potion Master drifted through his head, he tried to sink into memories and daydreams of his time with the man. Inevitably he would fall asleep, but those moments were a small comfort in an otherwise bleak existence.

After the first week of beatings, Harry was granted a day of peace, much to his confusion. The next, he was given the porridge and a loaf of stale bread. Then he was handed a list of chores to complete with the promise that should he get them all done, his beating would be light, and he would get an extra meal. If he failed, the beating would be harsh and no meal would be granted. With deep trepidation, he worked desperately to comply. Most days he managed, much to his relief. For once, Vernon actually delivered on his promise.

His nights were lonely, thankfully it was hot out, so he didn't freeze without bedding or warmer clothes. He spent what time he could hashing over the past six months, considering Snape mostly and how the man treated him.

Harry was deeply grateful that the older man had told him the truth after he had gone to the Ministry. He could easily see how Snape had taken each step down the path he had. Harry could see how he would have made the same choices if he had been in the same position.

He couldn't blame Snape for lashing out at his mum, couldn't blame him for joining the Death Eaters where he had found acceptance for the first time in his life. Harry didn't hold much stock in divination but if he had heard a prophecy about Dumbledore, he would have told the man.

Not that Harry really trusted or believed in the Headmaster anymore. Too many things had been off; had felt forced or staged. Occasionally he would wonder how much of his life had been orchestrated for the greater good, but that thought was uncomfortable, and he shied away, for now.

Snape had said that they couldn't have any kind of relationship while Harry was at Hogwarts, which he understood. The older man had also kissed him, which suggested that there was something there that could be explored later. Harry hoped fiercely that he would have a chance but didn't hold out much hope that the Potions Master would wait for him.

Now that Riddle was gone, Snape could be the brilliant, wonderful man that he always had been. Harry knew that there was a difference between sarcastic and meticulous, and someone who was cruel and vicious. Snape had been acting out the worst aspects of his personality in order to cover his spying, but that was no longer needed.

When he had the mental capacity, he fantasized about kissing the other man, the feel of those fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him close. Harry had some idea of how sex worked but had no experience. For a fifteen-year-old, he was sure his dreams were remarkably tame. The reality was, all he wanted was someone to care about him, to show him the affection he so desperately craved but had never received.

He forced himself to keep track as the days slipped by; the month was agony. As no one had ever noticed his condition before, Vernon had no qualms about gifting Harry a special beating for his birthday, waking up early in the morning to give him the thrashing of his life. Once the beating was done, Harry was permitted to shower for the first time since arriving at Privet Drive, and he was fed as usual. Dressing in the best second-hand clothes he had, he was handed his trunk and left in his room to wait.

Remus arrived just before lunch on the 31st of July. He looked tired and battered, his clothes worn and frayed but at the very least he looked muggle. The man frowned, no doubt comparing Harry to the way he had looked at the Ministry when he had defeated Riddle.

Harry's relatives had left for the day after Vernon had finished with him, no doubt to avoid having to see another freak in their home. Vernon had warned that, should anything be out of place, he would regret it next time Harry saw him.

“Harry?” Remus asked as he led him to a nearby park so they could apparate to Grimmauld Place.

Harry could only hum in response and he moved stiffly along beside his old professor.

“Are you alright?” Remus continued; darting concerned looks at the struggling youth.

“I’m fine Remus, nothing I haven’t dealt with before.” He could only sigh. The man had never noticed before, had never really cared. Why would he start now?

They reached a stand of trees that was dense enough for them to hide in.

“Harry? What does that mean?” Remus queried, reaching out to grip Harry’s shoulder but the dark-haired youth flinched away.

“You know what it means Remus.” Harry replied with a grimace, taking a step back.

“No, I don’t, but I guess this can wait, we need to get to safety.” With that, the werewolf held out his arm, Harry grasped forearms with him and soon they were being sucked away.

The next moment, they were in the park across the road from number 12 Grimmauld Place. It’s dreary visage fit Harry’s mood perfectly. Remus hustled him inside quickly and within moments, he was swamped. A chattering mass of redheads descended, wishing him happy birthday, hugging him too hard and slapping him on the back. None of them seemed to notice the flinches and suppressed moans of pain.

Sirius was particularly boisterous. Entirely oblivious to his agony every time the man wrapped him in a crushing hug. While his exuberance was normally endearing, it only served to make Harry feel more alone and isolated. Could no one see the agony he was in? Were they so unwilling to bear witness to his suffering that they would actively turn a blind eye to his pain?

Dinner was interminable, he had to sit quietly in unending suffering trying to smile and converse like a normal person. He spent more time pushing food around his plate than actually eating, his stomach twisting and heaving every time he moved.

Eventually, everyone moved off and he was left in the sitting room, slumped against the wall. Fresh spots of pain littered his ribs and back and he panted as he adjusted to the shudders wracking his emaciated frame. A shadow shifted in the corner of his eye and Harry forced himself to stand, school the pain away from his expression.

“Harry?” Remus’ voice was quiet as he edged closer.

“Yes?” He slumped back against the wall, eyes sliding closed.

“What’s wrong?” Remus reached out to rest a tentative hand on Harry’s forearm.

“Depends on your definition of wrong.” He didn’t have enough energy to sneer, so the comment fell flat.

“Are you… injured?” Remus shuffled closer and Harry could hear him inhale deeply.

“You didn’t seem to care much last time I was injured; I don’t see why you would care now.”

“What do you mean?”

“At the Ministry, I had two deep cuts, one on my chest and the other on my thigh. No one was there to help me, so I almost bled out. Thankfully I was found before that happened.” The hand resting on his forearm retracted and Harry forced his eyes open to see horrified amber eyes fixed on him.

“It was more important for you to stand by Dumbledore than help me, so I know where you stand now Remus. Don’t worry about me, I’ve been coping without you for this long, I don’t see why that should change now.” With that Harry pushed himself away from the wall and brushed by the werewolf, retreating to Regulus’ room.

He knew no one ever came into the abandoned bedroom but something in it reminded him of Snape, so Harry curled up on the dusty bed and dropped off to sleep, relieved to have a proper bed for the first time in over a month, to be alone without the threat of beatings or manual labour. For the first time in a while, his sleep was deep and untroubled.

* * *

Severus brutally controlled his temper as he stood in the corner of the Grimmauld Place kitchen where an Order of the Phoenix meeting was being carried out. While the Dark Lord had been defeated, Dumbledore had decided early on in the summer that he could use the group as a political springboard, easing his way into the Minister of Magic position by popular demand.

He had hoped that once the war was won, these insufferable meetings would cease, and he would be free to live his life once more. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

Severus had watched with detached fascination as he was bullied and emotionally blackmailed into attending, then mostly ignored in favour of those light families in the room. Just as the meeting broke up, Dumbledore thrust a list of potions into his hand and requested they be brewed as a matter of urgency.

It was disconcertingly like being a Death Eater.

Except perhaps without the threat of pain and torture, but that could always come with time, he thought bitterly. No one was paying any attention to him and in the chaos that always surrounded the Weasley family, he slipped away upstairs. The Weasley matriarch had commented that Harry had arrived and had ostensibly gone to bed.

He knew that Harry would be in pain, that he would have sought out solitude in which to rest. He also knew that only some of the bedrooms were occupied. Quietly, he began checking behind doors until he reached Regulus' room. Mentally rolling his eyes, he slipped in, moving over to the bed when he could see a shadowed lump huddled in the centre.

Gently he pressed a hand over Harry's mouth, knowing that his instincts would be strung out after five weeks of his relatives’ tender care. Leaning forward, he resisted the fleeting urge to brush his lips over the shell of Harry's ear.

"It's me, don't make a sound." He felt the tense body under his hand relax.

Drawing his hand away, he flicked his wand, lighting the tip weakly. He watched as the emaciated form before him struggled upright before patting the edge of the bed. With an arched brow, he sat where indicated as Harry twitched the curtains closed around them, creating a quiet dark cocoon. Flicking his wand, he attached the weak light to the canopy and cast a silencing charm around the little space.

"There was a meeting with Dumbledore downstairs that I was required to attend. When I heard you had arrived, I came to check on you. How is the damage?" He kept his tone brisk, but the smile that broke over the youth's face demonstrated he had failed in pretending he didn't care.

"Nothing broken, Vernon was careful to avoid making me bleed. I've lost all the weight I had gained though."

Severus nodded before casting a diagnostic, tucking away the paper without reading it. "I will prepare some potions to help and will drop them off the next time I have the opportunity. It is safe to assume that you are unaware of what has been occurring in the wizarding world during your… penance." Severus loathed that he could do little to save Harry from his horrid relatives. 'Tuney had always been a hateful bitch, no child should be forced to live under her rule.

Harry shook his head and he sighed. "I thought as much, Dumbledore has been 'coerced' into being the Minister for Magic. As such Minerva has been promoted to Headmistress. Dumbledore has already begun making changes which have the possibility to be concerning but we will have to wait and see. We have faculty meetings scheduled once a week until term commences, and I anticipate that Dumbledore will continue to hold regular meetings here regarding the changes he is making at the Ministry. I am unsure how long I will be kept on the inside of these meetings though. At the very least Dumbledore will have to keep me somewhat onside as I am the best Potions Master he has access to."

Harry nodded along, a frown growing. "What about my defeat of Riddle?"

Severus massaged his temple. "Dumbledore has swept it under the rug. He has acknowledged the downfall of Riddle but there has been no comment about your involvement. He is utilising the impetus created by the Dark Lords fall to place himself in a position of power to make changes. It has only been a week that he has been the Minister of Magic, but I am growing concerned over some of the laws being passed. Read the newspapers closely and you might be able to see a pattern forming."

He smirked and watched as a lovely blush stained Harry’s cheek.

"I anticipated the likelihood of you being bruised so I have brought some salve to help the healing process along." Severus extracted a tub of specially made bruise balm and pressed it into Harry's hands.

"Thank you," Harry gazed at the tub before glancing up and away, the flush darkening over his cheeks.

"Harry?" Severus queried, waiting for the youth to find the words he was obviously struggling with.

"My back is the worst, but I won't be able to reach, could you help this once?" Harry mumbled to his hands; his tone suggested he expected rejection.

With a sigh, the Potions Master tucked his fingers under the youth's chin to look deeply into his eyes. When no artifice was obvious, he inclined his head in acknowledgement. Surprised, Harry quickly stripped off his shirt and jeans, turning over onto his stomach. Severus bit off a curse at the lines of purple and red that layered the fragile skin. The youth had not been exaggerating. From shoulder to ankle, every inch he could see was battered and bruised.

Scooping out a large amount of the salve, he began gently smoothing it over the abused skin. His frustration mounted as he could once again, count Harry's ribs with ease, every ounce of meat had been stripped away. He ignored the soft sighs and bitten off moans from the simple touch of his hands. Working his way down tender flesh, he couldn’t help but watch as Harry arched into his touch like a cat desperate for scratches.

He stopped at the top of the youth's underwear, shifting down to work on the backs of Harry's thighs. Pained moans filled the little space as he gently worked the salve in. Glazed green eyes turned to look at him as he worked. Forcing away thoughts on how responsive the form under his hands was, he tried to finish quickly.

He couldn't help but think how desperately tragic it was. Severus Snape, a broken-down Death Eater had somehow attracted the attention of a 16-year-old youth with just as broken a history, irrespective of how attractive said youth was when healthy. They made quite a pair and a growing part of him couldn't help but hope that once Harry had graduated, they would have a chance to make a shot of things. When they weren't actively antagonising each other, they got along quite well, their similarities outweighing their differences.

Coming out of his thoughts, he realised he was carding his fingers through Harry's hair, the youth's eyes filled with a desperate yearning though he hadn't moved an inch. He went to remove his hand and Harry actually whimpered.

Against his better judgement, Severus continued petting the youth who relaxed once more, eyes fixed on Severus' face.

"Will you be able to fall asleep like this?" The Potions Master asked softly.

A bright red flush crawled up Harry's cheeks. "I'm… a little… wound up to go back to sleep."

"Ah," Severus smirked. "Would you like me to leave you to your privacy?"

"No!" Desperation filled shining green eyes. "I'll be fine, I can ignore it, it will go away. Just please, stay as long as you can…" He trailed off, mumbling into the pillow under his face.

Severus could only see his ears and they were bright red. With a smirk, he continued, casting an eye over the bruises that were already fading. Unable to resist, he trailed long fingers down Harry's back, caressing his spine. He looked back up to see one green eye peeking out of the mass of black hair. Severus continued running his hands over the exposed back, pointedly not noticing the jerking, bucking, of Harry's hips. The youth’s hands were fisted in his pillow, breathing erratic as he enjoyed the gentle touches being bestowed upon his abused skin. Severus watched as pupils dilated as he ran fingers up into thick hair and tugged. Harry bit off a moan, eyes fluttering closed as his hips jerked a few more times before relaxing into the bed.

Severus cast a gentle cleansing charm, ostensibly to remove the bruise salve and continued petting the youth until he fell asleep once more. Tugging the blankets up, and casting a warming charm, and rose. The Potions Master disillusioned himself and slipped out of the crowded house. He knew what he had done for Harry was wrong, but the youth had suffered so much in his short life, the aching need for some kindness, some kind of connection screamed from his eyes. Severus had looked and seen that it would take very little to help him on his way, knowing that he would sleep better for it.

He was already damned, what was one more tiny stain on his soul? Not that he minded this one overly much. He had done much worse things in his time. Shaking his maudlin thoughts away, he apparated away. He had numerous potions to make for Dumbledore, and Harry it seemed. It would be a long day tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be honest, I was not expecting the response I have been getting with this fic! I am happy that you all are enjoying it so much and it is helping motivate me to write the ending. I have the vast majority of this already written and edited, but the last section is still in the works.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy a fresh chapter. Unfortunately, I might not be able to post much over the weekend as I have family coming to town.

* * *

Harry woke gently, warm and only plagued by a few aches. It felt like forever since he had awoken like this, but the wending thread of contentment was definitely new. Memories from yesterday slowly filtered back. Being beaten, collected by Remus and brought to Grimmauld, an endless dinner, the confrontation with the werewolf and his retreat to Regulus’ room, waking to Severus during the night.

Embarrassment and desire washed over him. The man had only been trying to soothe his bruised body, but Harry's teenage hormones had taken over. Those long fingers petting him, stroking him; then they had slipped into his hair and tugged gently… He shivered, remembering his orgasm and falling asleep. He must have seemed so childish, coming so easily, but those gentle caresses had undone him. No one had ever touched him like that, and he knew he would treasure the memory for a long time.

Perhaps he had a chance with Snape. While the man might not wait for him, at least he had a chance to try once he was out of school. He just had to survive the next two years.

With a sigh he rose, applying the bruise balm to what he could reach and dressed quickly. He would have a shower and wash it all off after breakfast. Traipsing downstairs, he plonked down at the crowded kitchen table, grabbing a plate and filling it with some toast and eggs. After five weeks of starvation rations, he would have to take it easy accustoming his body to regular food.

He made the mistake of looking across the table at Ron who was shovelling food into his mouth like it would disappear if he didn't eat it soon enough. There was a smear of something on his cheek and a dribble of what looked like egg down his shirt.

"Hey Harry," Ron spluttered around his mouthful and Harry had to quickly shield his plate so it wouldn't get contaminated with flying debris. "You never came to bed last night, where were you?"

"I was feeling a little overwhelmed, so I looked for a quiet room, ended up falling asleep in Regulus' old room." He shrugged.

"Don't know how you can sleep surrounded by so much green." The redhead wrinkled his nose before shoving a whole sausage into his mouth.

Harry only rolled his eyes, fishing out _The Prophet_ from between the egg and bacon dishes. Flipping it open, he blinked in surprise at the headline.

_All laws endorsed by Umbridge overturned!_

_In a shocking move, the new Minister for Magic has universally overturned all laws endorsed by ex-Undersecretary for the previous Minister for Magic, Delores Umbridge. He provided the following statement to the press late yesterday afternoon._

_'We carried out a review of the legislation currently in place, particularly with relation to dark creature's, and found them to be discriminatory at worst and woefully inadequate for our current political climate. As such, we found it in the magical communities’ best interest to overturn what existed and start fresh. We are facing a new age and as such, it is time for new attitudes to be encouraged.'_

_Dark creatures such as werewolves and vampires have faced an unkind community historically. We wait with bated breath what new legislation will be posed and how it will affect the community at large._

Harry looked up, eyes darting to Remus without hesitation. The man looked like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders as he flicked through another copy of _The Prophet_, a quill in hand.

* * *

The next day at breakfast, a barn owl swooped through the window and landed in front of Remus who was happily consuming a large plate of bacon and sausages. Harry watched as the werewolf extracted a letter, the man cracked the seal and flipped it open. Harry glimpsed the Hogwarts crest and his curiosity was piqued. Minutes stretched as Remus read and re-read the letter, eyes going wide with surprise.

“I’ve been invited back.” He whispered before looking around the table, eyes flicking back to the letter once more. “Minerva wants me to return at the Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor permanently. With You-Know-Who gone, the curse has been lifted from the position. With the creature laws being revoked I can have a job again!” His excitement was palpable and everyone at the table cheered.

Molly, who had been bustling around the kitchen making breakfast, proclaimed that this was cause to celebrate and promised an extravagant dinner. Harry could only smile sadly as he slipped away. He was glad Remus was getting to return to the job he had so obviously loved, but he couldn’t help but regret their deteriorating relationship.

* * *

Harry had more energy to tolerate the celebration for Remus, he quietly sidled up to the man during a lull in the conversation.

“Congratulations Remus, or should I saw Professor once again?” Harry smiled softly at the man.

“Harry!” The man started and turned to face him. “I was hoping to talk to you, but you keep disappearing.” Remus frowned at him.

Harry could only shrug. “I’m not sure what we have to talk about.”

“Harry! Please don’t be like that. I don’t know what you’re talking about.” The man reached out, wrapping fingers around Harry’s wrist.

The youth flicked his eyes from Remus’ hand to the man’s eyes. “After I defeated Riddle, you came to me and cast a diagnostic. You said I only had some magical exhaustion. I was covered in bruises and had two large wounds, one on my chest and the other on my thigh. You completely disregarded me, Remus. I could have died if I hadn’t been found.

“Dumbledore portkeyed me to his office, not the hospital wing. If I hadn’t escaped his locked office, I could have bled out and died before anyone found me. You have never noticed my injuries or my pain, never noticed the signs that are obvious to see. So no, we don’t have anything to talk about. Enjoy your life but don’t expect me to be a part of it.” With that, Harry wrenched his hand away and strode from the room.

Harry quickly made his way upstairs and once back in Regulus’ room, he slumped against the closed door, quietly cursing himself. He had been too honest, too open with Remus. He had revealed too much of himself. He cursed again, regretting his temper and loose tongue.

Raking his fingers through his hair, he mulled over what had happened, focusing on Remus’ expressions and paused. Perhaps… Perhaps Ramus had been encouraged to be unaware. He had seemed… Surprised when Harry had listed his injuries. Perhaps all was not lost, and the werewolf was redeemable

* * *

It had been a week since Potter had been retrieved from his relatives and Severus had been almost entirely confined to his private lab preparing the potions requested by Dumbledore and those needed to restore the dark-haired youth to some semblance of health. 

He wasn't sure how to feel about the list of potions given to him by Dumbledore, they were all barely on the acceptable side of legal and many toed the line on whether they were compulsion potions or potions that only opened someone up to suggestion. His greatest concern was a large batch he had to make which was a contact potion. It could be poured over fabric and would open someone up to suggestion. It being used once or twice was not an issue, but repeated exposure created a level of obedience that was disconcerting. The potion itself would take on the persons magical signature that applied it, keying the recipient into their wishes and desires over time.

Pushing aside his worries about Dumbledore, Severus had to acknowledge that Potter had been correct in his assessment that there were no broken bones, no anaemia to speak of. The youth was dangerously underweight once more and Severus would have to trust that Potter knew how to handle food after five weeks of starvation.

As he decanted a nutrient potion that he custom-designed for Potter, he thought over the previous evenings’ faculty meeting. Minerva being instituted as Headmistress had been expected. Part of him had hoped to be recognised and promoted to Deputy, but with the direction Dumbledore was taking and, if he was honest with himself, the undesirably increased workload, he was unsurprised to not receive the position. Instead, Flitwick had been instituted as Deputy with Sinistra being promoted to the new Head of Ravenclaw.

The real surprise had been Lupin returning. After Potter’s third year, the world at large knew of his werewolf status, but with the change in creature laws, the man had been brought back. The Potions Master was forced to admit that the wolf did know his defence material and had by far produced the best results with the children.

As the only Gryffindor on staff who was not already allocated a role, Lupin was instituted as the new Head of Gryffindor house. Part of Severus wanted to weep at the knowledge that the boy who had stood by while he had been bullied and brought low receiving such a privilege. The larger part though could see the man was different from the boy he had used to be and hoped that perhaps the werewolf would be able to imbue the unruly house with a little sense.

Minerva had advised them all that she required a full breakdown of their curriculums for her to review. She explained that she intended to make some changes to the school, bring back some old courses and update the existing to bring them into line with the new face of their community. Severus wished her luck.

He had a sinking feeling that anything remotely dark would be removed from the syllabus. He expected that no more would the students brew or handle poisons. They would most likely be offered a theoretical knowledge with a focus on antidotes. He expected love potions to be removed altogether, which he could not bring himself to regret. He loathed love potions and how they represented the wizarding world's acceptance of drugging others in the name of ‘love’. He only hoped that the antidotes were permitted to remain.

Overall, he hoped that his course wouldn’t be unduly impacted by whatever changes Minerva instituted and was eager to see what the new courses could be.

Once he finished decanting the last vial, he moved to one of his cupboards and withdrew a pouch. Slotting in all the doses of nutrient potions, as well as some of the bone-strengthening potions, pepper up and sweet dreams potions. Tucking the pouch in a pocket, he moved to his office, extracting parchment and quill to jot down instructions for Potter. Once completed, the instructions went into the pouch and he moved to his ensuite to shower, washing away the day spent brewing.

Tonight, he had another Order meeting. The potions for Dumbledore had already been boxed up, ready for delivery. He couldn't help but be bitterly amused by the stupidity of the masses in what was and was not classified as dark. He mused over the pending future as he washed his hair of the protective potion he used in it whenever he brewed.

Towelling off, he dressed quickly, gathering the boxes and checking to make sure he had the pouch for Potter. He could not floo with the potions for Dumbledore, so instead made his way to the front gates to apparate to Grimmauld Place. He didn’t hold much hope that this meeting would go well, that his mounting concerns would be unfounded. He had a sneaking suspicion that the defeat of the Dark Lord was only the beginning of the troubles they would face.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Crazy weekend... I'll post two chapters for you all to enjoy.
> 
> Sorry for the table formatting, it looks pretty in word, but it didn't translate well across to AO3

* * *

Their OWL results arrived at the beginning of the second week in August. Hermione, who had arrived two days prior, immediately went into a frenzy, much to everyone’s exasperation. Harry slit open his envelope, extracting the sheaf of parchments within. He set aside the traditional letter inviting him to return to Hogwarts for the following school year, the next was his OWL results.

_ORDINARY WIZARDING LEVEL RESULTS_

_Pass Grades:_

| 

_Fail Grades:_  
  
---|---  
  
_Outstanding (O)_

| 

_Poor (P)_  
  
_Exceeds Expectations (E)_

| 

_Dreadful (D)_  
  
_Acceptable (A)_

| 

_Troll (T)_  
  
_HARRY JAMES POTTER HAS ACHIEVED:_

_Astronomy:_

| 

_E_  
  
---|---  
  
_Care of Magical Creatures:_

| 

_E_  
  
_Charms:_

| 

_O_  
  
_Defence Against the Dark Arts:_

| 

_O_  
  
_Divination:_

| 

_A_  
  
_Herbology:_

| 

_E_  
  
_History of Magic:_

| 

_E_  
  
_Potions:_

| 

_O_  
  
_Transfiguration:_

| 

_O_  
  
He had barely finished reading his results when Hermione snatched them from his hand. He frowned at her and held out his hand for them to be returned but she ignored him in favour of reading through the results.

“Hermione, can I have my results back?” He aimed for politeness but feared he fell short.

“Harry! How did you get results like this? You barely studied and certainly didn’t follow the study plan I gave you.” She looked affronted when he yanked the parchment from her grasp.

“I did study Hermione, just because I didn’t do it with you nor follow your methods doesn’t make my results any less valid.”

“So Harry, how did you do?” Remus cut across the brewing argument.

“I got four O’s, four E’s and an A in Divination. I have already spoken with Professor McGonagall about changing my electives, so I’m not worried about Divination; I won’t be keeping it.” Harry replied as he began flicking through the additional papers.

“Oh? What are you doing instead?” Remus shuffled closer on the bench, bringing his cup of tea with him.

“I’m dropping Care of Magical Creatures and Divination. Instead, I’ll be joining the OWL’s class for Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. McGonagall said if I study hard, I might be able to sit my OWL’s this year and catch up with the NEWT’s class next. If not, then I can sit my OWL’s in seventh year and hire a tutor to complete my NEWT’s once I finish at Hogwarts.” Harry finally looked up from the packet to see Remus looking at him with a mixture of pride and sadness.

“That is an excellent plan, Harry. I’m sure you will succeed if you set your mind to it. I am glad I have the opportunity to be there to witness it firsthand. I’m sorry I have already missed so much.” The man stared down into his cup for a moment.

“Remus, do you know anything about this?” Harry passed over an extra sheet that had been behind his results.

_With the change in headship at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, there will be some changes to the courses offered and the requirements to attend._

  * _Astronomy will no longer be a core class and will now be offered as an elective from third year._
  * _Magical Theory will be a required class for the first two years of schooling to ensure all students have a strong foundation for their further studies._
  * _Muggle studies as a course will be a requirement for all non-muggle raised students for their first two years. It will be offered as an elective to all in third. For those senior students who are interested, an additional class will be offered to provide a basic understanding of living and operating within the muggle world._
  * _Wizarding Traditions is a new course which will be a requirement for all muggle raised students for their first two years. It will be offered as an elective to all in third. For those senior students who are interested, an additional class will be offered to provide a basic understanding of wizarding traditions which can facilitate and impact everyday life in the wizarding world._
  * _Healing, Duelling and Magical Craftmanship are all new subjects which will be offered to Sixth and Seventh years who have the required OWL’s to qualify. They are as follows:_

_Healing: E’s in Defence Against the Dark Arts, Charms and Potions._

_Duelling: E’s in Defence Against the Dark Arts, Charms and Transfiguration._

_Magical Craftmanship: E’s in Charms, Herbology and Transfiguration._

_In order to qualify for any sixth-year course, students must have a minimum of an Exceeds Expectations on their OWL score. If more students are interested than the course can support currently, those with Outstanding’s will receive preference._

_Independent Language Studies are also being offered for those students interested from Third Year onwards. As this is an independent study, it will not be supervised by a teacher and may be commenced at the beginning of any year._

_Any questions should be directed to your Head of House:_

_Slytherin – Severus Snape (Potions Professor)_

_Ravenclaw - Aurora Sinistra (Astronomy Professor)_

_Gryffindor – Remus Lupin (Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor)_

_Hufflepuff – Pomona Sprout (Herbology Professor)_

“Ah yes, Minerva did tell us about the changes she was making. I have to admit they are for the better, but I am nervous at taking up the Headship for Gryffindor.” The man read over the parchment, humming to himself.

“Gryffindor has always loved you Remus, it will be fine. I have signed up to take Charms, Defence, Herbology, Potions and Transfiguration, as well as Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. I am thinking that Wizarding Traditions sounds useful but I don’t think I’ll have the time to take anything else, especially the new courses for sixth and seventh years. What do you think?” Harry asked quietly.

“I think you are probably right Harry, the two new courses of Ancient Runes and Arithmancy will be intense, especially if you try to sit your OWL’s at the end of the year. Wizarding Traditions isn’t examinable, it’s more of an informational class for students trying to integrate better into the wizarding world. I think you would really benefit from it.” Remus nodded, handing back the letter.

“Thanks Remus.” Harry tucked away the sheaves of parchment, he would have a look at the recommended textbooks later, there was still time before their annual trip to Diagon Alley.

The pair tuned back into the room at large to discover that Ron and Hermione had both been invited to return as Prefects and Molly was exclaiming over the joy of it all, promising further celebrations. Harry could only sigh. Of course he wouldn’t be made Prefect, even though he could almost guarantee he now had the best grades of his year in Gryffindor, he was passed over in favour of Ron. He wasn’t sure what the game was but knew he would find out in time.

Finishing his breakfast, he slipped away to Regulus’ room to take his potions. Snape had been kind enough to drop them off after last weeks Order meeting. The man had not lingered, nor had they spoken of what had happened the week prior. He hoped he would have the opportunity to see the man again soon, hoped that he would be proud of Harry’s grades.

* * *

The trip to Diagon Alley was slated for Thursday the same week their results arrived. The Order meeting was scheduled for that evening so that those who had been roped into accompanying their growing group of students didn’t have to leave after their shopping trip.

The days crept by slowly and Harry devoted more and more time to reading. He had discovered Regulus’ old textbooks on a bookshelf in the room and found the comments and additions to be insightful and humorous. Sirius was unimpressed when he realised that Harry was reading his younger brothers’ books and staying in his room but didn’t actively try and stop him, only whined and complained whenever he was confronted with the reality.

Harry quietly suggested that Remus should look at organising a Mind Healer to help Sirius deal with his time during the war and in Azkaban. He also suggested that having the man looked over by a more traditional Healer would probably help as well. Harry was alarmed when a woman who looked remarkably like Bellatrix Lestrange showed up one day. Apparently, the middle Black sister, Andromeda, looked unfortunately like her elder sister Bellatrix. The woman was a successful Mind Healer with Healer qualifications and was willing to help her wayward cousin recover. Harry couldn’t believe that no one had thought to do this earlier but shrugged off the stupidity of Wizards.

Thursday dawned bright and sunny and everyone was excited to venture forth. Diagon Alley was abuzz with life and celebration. It seemed that with Riddle well and truly gone, everyone was ready to start fresh.

Sirius had pouted and complained about being left behind, but he was still a wanted man so was forced to remain behind. As soon as the opportunity presented itself, Harry extracted himself from the mass of shouting red-heads and darted towards Gringotts. He soon discovered that Remus was tagging along with him and shrugged. The man wouldn’t get in his way and had been very cordial since Harry had yelled at him. A small flame of hope burned in his chest that Remus would endeavour to redeem himself.

Entering Gringotts, Harry strode to the nearest desk and asked to visit his vault. The goblin frowned down at him.

“Mr Potter, I believe it is time for you to meet with your account manager to discuss a few matters.”

Harry blinked, exchanging a confused glance with Remus before acquiescing. Lupin was instructed to wait, but Harry encouraged the other man to continue his shopping, Harry promised to meet up with him in Flourish and Blotts once done with the bank. He was then escorted into an office with a name plaque of Hogrod.

“Mr Potter, as you are now sixteen, it is time we discuss your heirships as you will be stepping into the role of Head of House next year for at least one of them.” The goblin shuffled paper on his desk as he spoke.

“Heirships? I’m sorry I don’t quite understand. What am I heir to?” Harry inquired.

Hogrod paused and looked up, peering at him through his half-moon glasses. “Well you are the Potter Heir and Sirius Black has named you as Heir Black also.”

“I’m sorry what?” Harry was floored. “I can’t be heir to anything! I know my parents left me a vault that I have been using to pay for my schooling but that’s it.”

“Muggle raised.” The goblin sneered. “Your trust vault is what you have been using to pay for your schooling supplies Mr Potter. Your parents also had the main Potter vault which has considerably more money, as well as a secondary vault with house artefacts. As Heir Black, you also have access to a trust vault, but will not be able to access the main vaults unless access is granted by the Head. Unfortunately, the Headship of the Black family is in some dispute currently due to Sirius Black’s incarceration in Azkaban and the questionable nature of his mental health.”

Harry could only gape. “I’m sorry, I was entirely unaware of all of this.” The youth eventually managed to blurt.

“Yes well, that is becoming exceedingly obvious. Perhaps an Inheritance test would be in order as it is possible additional titles, properties and artefacts could have been bequeathed to you.”

The Goblin extracted a shimmering sheet of parchment and an uncomfortably familiar quill. Harry immediately rubbed the back of his left hand with his right.

“Mr Potter, you will need to write your full name along the top of the parchment using this quill. The magic already imbued in the parchment will extract your heritage and inheritances and detail them down the page.”

With a moue of discomfort, Harry plucked up the quill and wrote his name along the top as instructed. They could feel the magic flare and writing began etching itself down the sheet.

_Harry James Potter_

_Black_

| 

_Heir (by blood adoption)_  
  
---|---  
  
_Gaunt_

| 

_Heir (by Conquest)_  
  
_Peverell_

| 

_Heir (by blood)_  
  
_Gryffindor_

| 

_Heir (by blood)_  
  
_Slytherin_

| 

_Heir (by Conquest)_  
  
_Potter_

| 

_Heir (by blood)_


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There have been some comments about Ron and Hermione, I grant you all, this chapter ;)
> 
> Also, don't judge me for being a nerd, it boggles the mind that in cannon, the senior years didn't have recommended texts as well as the required texts...

* * *

“Well Mr Potter, it would seem you are more than just the Potter and Black Heir. Many of these lines had died out and have remained unclaimed. Once you become the Lord of your Houses, you will be a force to be reckoned with.”

Harry could only stare at the parchment, struggling to believe that he was so titled.

“If you are amenable to the idea, I will arrange for a full audit of all accounts associated with you and any of the names listed to clarify your entitlements.”

Harry nodded mutely and watched as the goblin frowned at him before pressing a finger into a divot on his table.

“Heir rings for Houses Black, Gaunt, Peverell, Gryffindor, Slytherin and Potter.”

A box materialised on the table and when opened, six rings were laid out. “You will need to put them on, the magic should accept you, but you will know if not. Once accepted, I will explain what they do. The rings can combine together to a certain degree; I would recommend putting the Peverell, Gryffindor and Potter rings on the same finger with the Black, Gaunt and Slytherin rings on another. Magic will take care of the rest”

Harry reached out a shaking hand, gathering up the Potter ring. It was a simple signet ring in yellow gold with a red stone in the centre. He could make out a crest etched into the stone. Slipping it onto his right index finger and felt a wave of magic wash over him. It was warm and comforting, filling him with a sense of home and tears pricked his eyes.

Next, he grabbed the Peverell ring, which was a dull black metal with a diamond set in the centre. An odd sigil of a circle inside a triangle with a line bisecting it was carved into the surface. Slipping it on the same finger, he was hit with wise old magic, a little cold, with a sense of inevitability.

The Gryffindor ring was similar to the Potter one except there were red stones set around the band and a different crest etched on the surface. The magic was brash and bold, rushing into him like a tidal wave that left him gasping.

Glancing down, he could see now the three stones had shrunk and wrapped around his finger with the Peverell stone centred. Thick bands of yellow gold were wound with traceries of the dull black metal of the Peverell ring. Rubies were scattered along the band. Harry couldn’t help but hope there would be a way to hide the thing as it was terribly gaudy.

He reached next for the Black ring. A black stone was set in a silvery metal signet ring. He couldn’t tell if it was white gold or platinum, but knowing the Blacks, it was probably the latter. The crest etched into the stone looked like someone had rubbed silver into the etchings to pick them up. Slipping the ring onto his right middle finger, he felt something strong and rich wend its way through him. It was like dusk, a little dark, a little light and filled with promise.

Next was the Gaunt ring which was an ugly thing, battered yellow gold with an angular black stone set in the centre. It didn’t have a crest on it, and with a shrug, Harry slipped it on. The magic was crazed, wild, aggressive and he immediately sunk into his Occlumency shields to try and fend it off. The magic raged through him, and his own rose to fight back. In particular, he could feel the Peverell magic rear up in his chest, wrapping around the Gaunt magic and wrestling it into submission. It fought wildly, but with the backing of the other house magics and his own, he gained control.

Blinking back to consciousness, he could see Hogrod peering at him in concern. “Mr Potter, are you alright?”

Harry shook his head. “There is something wrong with the Gaunt magic. It was crazed, violent. The rest of the house magics had to band with mine to wrestle it into submission.”

The goblin frowned harder, making a note on some parchment. “This will warrant an investigation. For now, you need to finish collecting your inheritance, you have one ring remaining.”

With a sigh, Harry reached for the final ring, Slytherin, nothing the silvery metal and the wide emerald with an elegant snake carved into the surface. He hoped that he wouldn’t have another battle on his hands and slid it onto the same finger as the Black and Gaunt rings. The magic was insidious, cunning, winding through him, slipping into his mind. Tendrils wound through the different house magics he had and bound them together, tying them tightly to his core.

Harry exhaled in relief, slumping into the chair. He could feel the magic thrumming under his skin. Where before there had been a large pool, now there was an ocean of magic at his disposal; endless and varied. The second ring he now sported was similar in design as the first with the three stones shrunken and spread along the band The emerald stone was centred with the black stones on either side. The silvery metal wrapped around everything with threads of gold throughout.

“Now that you have been accepted by the house magic, I can confirm that the Potter ring will protect you from love potions and spells, the Peverell ring will reinforce your mental shields and the Gryffindor ring will enhance any offensive magic you use. The Black ring will protect you from compulsion potions and spells, the Gaunt ring should provide protection from poisons but with there being something wrong with the magic I would not recommend counting on it. Finally, the Slytherin ring will enhance any Legillemency skills you have. You may use any for sealing official documents as only the Heir may wear them. They can be used to confirm your identity.”

With that, the Goblin pushed over two new keys. “These are new keys attuned to your blood and magic for your two trust vaults. All previously existing keys have been destroyed. I will investigate if there are any additional vaults which you may access. When shopping in any of the wizarding districts, you may use your Heir rings to pay. Most storekeepers with have a small divot by their register that you can press your ring to. Payment will be automatic.”

“I have nothing further to discuss, if you have no further questions?” The goblin paused, when Harry shook his head, he gestured towards the door. “If you have any questions, you may write me a letter, be sure to provide an impression of the appropriate ring for authenticity. I will be in touch once the account audits have been completed for your review, though please be aware this will take some time and may not be available until after your seventeenth birthday depending on the house charter.”

Harry tucked away the keys he had been given, thanked the goblin for his time and left. He wandered for a little while, lost in thought before eventually ending up at Flourish and Blotts. He extracted the book list that had come with his letter.

_Charms_

| 

_The Standard Book of Spells Year 6 by Miranda Goshawk_  
  
---|---  
  
_Potions_

| 

_Advanced Potion-Making Part 1 by Libatius Borage_  
  
_Transfiguration_

| 

_A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration Part 1 by Emeric Switch_  
  
_History of Magic_

| 

_Modern Magical History by Bathilda Bagshott_

_Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century (Recommended)_  
  
_Defense Against the Dark Arts_

| 

_Confronting the Faceless_

_The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts (Recommended)_  
  
_Herbology_

| 

_Flesh-Eating Trees of the World_  
  
_Magical Theory_

| 

_Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling_  
  
_Muggle Studies_

| 

_Home Life and Social Habits of British Muggles_  
  
_Wizarding Traditions_

| 

_Wizarding Traditions and their History_

_Nature's Nobility: A Wizarding Genealogy (Recommended)_  
  
_Divination_

| 

_Unfogging the Future by Cassandra Vablatsky_  
  
_Ancient Runes_

| 

_Ancient Runes Made Easy_

_Rune Dictionary (Recommended)_  
  
_Arithmancy_

| 

_Numerology and Gramatica_

_New Theory of Numerology (Recommended)_  
  
_Astronomy_

| 

_Astronomy and its Impacts on the Wizarding World_  
  
_Care of Magical Creatures_

| 

_Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander_  
  
_Healing_

| 

_The Healer's Helpmate_

_Common Magical Ailments and Afflictions_

_A Compendium of Common Curses and Their Counter-Actions_  
  
_Duelling_

| 

_Self-Defensive Spellwork_  
  
_Magical craftmanship_

| 

_A Craftsman and his Wand_  
  
_For those electing to study an independent language, A selections of appropriate language books are provided by Flourish and Blotts, please request the required text for the language you are electing to study._

Harry had already marked next to each class he wanted to take, so it was only a matter of grabbing a basket and slipping in the books for Charms, Defence, Herbology, Potions, Transfiguration, Ancient Runes, Arithmancy and Wizarding Traditions. He was a little excited to get into reading his new books, knowing that he would have the privacy to do so.

As he browsed, he picked up another few books that looked interesting before heading to the counter to finalise his purchases. As Hogrod had promised, there was a divot by the register and when he pressed his Potter ring to it, the register pinged and he was waved away.

While in the store, he didn't see Remus at all and shrugged it off, obviously the man had gotten tired of waiting for him and had moved on. Diagon Alley was not large so they would be likely to bump into each other at some point.

Grinning, he slipped from the bookstore and looked around. It was time for some changes, he felt, time to get some new things. He had no intention of ever returning to his relatives, no matter what Dumbledore said next year. Harry would hide away over the summer if he had to. As such, he was determined to get some nice things for himself.

No one seemed to notice as he wandered from store to store and he relished the anonymity he was currently experiencing. New clothes and robes, a new trunk and satchel, fresh supplies for Hedwig and the best Potions ingredients he could find rounded out his purchases. He also obtained enough parchment, notebooks, quills, ink, knives and pencils to last the year (or so he hoped). Harry even had a little fun looking at the different sealing waxes, selecting a few different colours.

Settling down outside Fortescues with an ice cream, he arranged all of his new purchases into his multi-compartment trunk. Books went into the library section; he was looking forward to finally being able to sort all of his old textbooks (Lockharts had already been burned years prior). Clothes went into a wardrobe section that was magically expanded and designed to keep everything clean and crease free. Potions ingredients went into the specialty potions section which had stasis charms all over it to ensure nothing perished or spilled. There was even a stationery section with specially designed cavities for all the different paraphernalia, to keep everything neat and tidy.

While he was enjoying his ice cream, his trunk shrunken and tucked into his pocket, he spotted Ron and Hermione struggling along under mountains of bags. Obviously, none of the adults with them had been kind enough to apply shrinking charms for their purchases. He waved them over, hiding a smirk at their struggles behind a spoon of ice cream.

“Harry! Where is your stuff? Tell me you haven’t been wandering around for the past few hours and got nothing!” Hermione cried.

Setting down his spoon, Harry frowned at her. “Hermione, I got everything I needed. It’s in my new trunk, in my pocket. I really don’t appreciate this attitude you have towards me though. You have been rather rude and presumptive of late and I don’t appreciate it.”

Harry was tired of her sticking her nose into his life and demanding answers. The girl had never listened to him and while he had been desperate for her friendship in previous years, he was no longer happy to suffer her interference in his life simply to have someone taking up space next to him and nagging him half to death.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about Harry. You’re the one who has been rude and uncooperative. I’m just trying to help, honestly!” She sat back, arms crossed and huffed at him.

“Mate, I don’t know what’s going on with you, ever since Christmas you’ve been weird. We thought perhaps that it was just the stress of You-Know-Who getting to you, but you’re still weird. What’s going on?” Ron interjected.

Harry sighed, figuring he should level with them a little at least, see what they had to say. “Watching your father be attached shook me, Ron. Then I was thrown into Occlumency lessons with Snape and once we got past being antagonistic to each other, he actually started tutoring me in a lot of stuff I needed. Killing Riddle was really tough to deal with, but I knew I had to do it alone. Anyone else could have gotten hurt. Then the whole thing was just brushed under the rug. Not that I wanted the recognition or anything, but defeating Riddle nearly killed me, and absolutely no one cared or even noticed.

“Instead I was sent back to my relatives to be abused some more. I have tried to tell you in previous years, but either you guys didn’t understand or did hear me. So I will tell you bluntly now, with no artifice. I have been abused all my life. My relatives loathe me. I have been beaten bloody and broken, forced to do all of the chores around the house above and beyond what would be considered normal. I have been starved and kept in a cupboard. I have been denied basic hygiene as well. I was often kept home from primary school when the bruises were too obvious.

“Each year when I start at Hogwarts, I am emaciated, bruised and battered. But you never noticed, never noticed the weird relationship I have with food, never noticed that I was always willing to sacrifice myself for others. Not because it was the right thing to do, but because I was taught to think I was worthless. I have had a lot of time this past six months to think, to focus on myself and to realise that there is something very wrong in my life. The question is, were you two aware, or were you ignorant?” Harry sat back, arms folded and watched as the other two processed the information he had laid out.

Ron’s face hardened. “Mate. I don’t know why you keep insisting on these lies. So you’re a little smaller than the other boys in our year, that doesn’t mean that your relatives treat you poorly. Everyone has to do chores and all this crap about abuse, it’s just pathetic and attention-seeking. You’re just pissed that no one is hailing you as The Chosen One after you defeated You-Know-Who. You need to get over yourself, seriously.” With that, Ron extracted his bags from the pile and stormed off.

During his tirade, Harry had watched Hermione, her jaw had dropped open and horror washed over her face at Ron’s harsh words. Once the redhead had disappeared from sight, her eyes slid back to Harry who had schooled his expression into neutrality. He hadn’t been overly surprised by Ron’s response. He knew that Dumbledore had to have been feeding lies to the Weasley’s so that they would ignore the obvious signs. After all, he spent a portion of the summer with them every year. The real question was whether Hermione had known also.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry sorry sorry!! I know, I am shit for not posting for a while. 
> 
> All of your speculation will be resolved though on the Hermione front. Also, I give you a staff meeting with some changes to Hogwarts, these are only the first steps and it is setting things up for more changes later on down the track which will be very important! Also, progress on the Remus front... On re-reading it, I apparently packed a lot into this chapter, who knew?
> 
> Thanks for all the comments and kudos though guys! It brightens my days.

* * *

Tears welled in Hermione’s eyes and she buried her face in her hands as she sobbed. Surprised, Harry reached out and lightly rested his hand on her shoulder. She grabbed his hand, wrapping trembling fingers around it as watery eyes peered up at him.

“I’m so sorry Harry! I had seen some of the signs, but whenever I brought it up with Ron he would dismiss my concerns and you never said anything so I never asked and then I was so distracted with the wizarding world and learning and magic that I just…” She broke down wailing and Harry couldn’t help but cringe a little.

Passers-by were glaring at him and he reached out, patting her head to try and soothe her. “Hermione, please calm down. Please?”

The girl eased off crying, reduced to hiccupping sobs.

“Hey, it’s ok, it’ll be alright.” Harry sighed, getting up to plonk down next to the distressed brunette and pulled her into a gentle hug. She cried into his shoulder as he made soothing noises, patting her unruly hair and hoping she would calm soon.

Eventually, she settled and Harry pushed the rest of his ice cream at her. With a weak smile, she started eating.

“It’s ok Hermione. I don’t blame you, I just wanted to know if you had known. It’s pretty clear that Ron did, or at least had enough of an idea to intentionally not notice. I am happy to keep being your friend if you want, we can do better moving forward?” He offered. “I won’t make you give up your friendship with Ron if that’s what you want, but I have no interest in anything to do with him.”

Hermione shook her head, brown curls flying. “No way, after that, he and I are over. We had agreed just before the break that we would start dating but… He is not the man I thought he was. You have always been there for me Harry, it’s about time I returned the favour.” She smiled at him and he couldn’t resist smiling back.

“Now what’s with all these bags hey?” Harry asked, gesturing to the piles of shopping around them.

“Well I needed a lot of new stuff, and no one shrunk them down for me, the adults left us to our own devices so…” She trailed off shrugging.

Harry huffed a laugh. “Hang on, I have an idea.” Pulling out his trunk, he tapped it with his wand to restore it to the right size and extracted his satchel. “Here, put your stuff in this, it’s bottomless so it should all fit.”

Hermione looked at him with wide-eyes and began stuffing her bags in. “Where did you get this?! I would have killed for one of these the past few years!”

“The trunk shop, want to go get one? It was a little expensive but will be worth it, I think.”

Hermione nodded frantically, shoving the last of her stuff into the satchel as Harry shrunk his trunk down once more and tucked it away. The pair headed off towards the trunk shop where Harry showed her the satchel he had bought as well as the trunk he had gotten. Excited, Hermione picked up a new trunk for herself and a backpack similar to Harry’s.

The pair continued to meander through the Alley, stopping off at shops as Harry filled her in on what he had bought and shared stories over the past year that she had missed. He was very careful to avoid talking about Snape too much. While the man didn’t have a cover to keep anymore, some instinct told him that revealing how close he was with the Potions Master would be a mistake.

In time, perhaps he could bring Hemione into his confidence, but for now, it was nice to have his friend back.

* * *

Severus gazed around the staffroom which was much larger than it used to be. This was a good thing, as there were a lot more people filling the space than he had expected. There were many new faces and while he knew changes were coming, he wasn’t sure this was what he had expected.

Minerva called the meeting to order and everyone settled down into their allocated seats. Severus seated himself between Sinistra and Sprout, Lupin on the other side of Sinistra and Flitwick between Lupin and Minerva. He nodded to Burbage, Vector and Babbling who were all across the table from him. Trelawney had not deigned to come down from her tower and Firenze did not turn up to the meetings anyway.

The rest of the faces were unfamiliar and he waited for introductions with an impassive face.

“Thank you, everyone, for coming, I know this is earlier in the summer than we normally meet, but with the changes I am instituting this year, I felt it was important to ensure we were all across it. Without further ado, allow me to introduce everyone.

“To those of you who are new, my Deputy Head is Filius Flitwick and Charms Professor. Remus Lupin is stepping in this year as the Head of Gryffindor and is returning as our Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor. Aurora Sinistra is our new Head of Ravenclaw and our Astronomy Professor. Severus Snape is the Head of Slytherin and our resident Potions Master. Finally, Pomona Sprout is Head of Hufflepuff and our Herbology Professor. Of our existing staff, we have Septima Vector who handles Arithmancy, Bathsheda Babbling who handles Ancient Runes and Charity Burbage who handles Muggle Studies.

“As you all know, Cuthbert Binns is our History of Magic Professor and is, unfortunately, a ghost, I will be reviewing this next year for efficacy. We also have Sybill Trelawney and Firenze who share Divination, neither of whom are here. Please welcome Patricia Williams who will be our new Transfiguration Professor and Marcus Perry who is taking over Care of Magical Creatures.

“On review of our existing curriculum, I decided to institute a few new courses to bring us more in line with other magical schools around the world. You will find on the table in front of you all, a packet which explains in detail the changes I am instituting and why. For Magical Theory, we now have Matthew Young, Wizarding Traditions has Delilah Fawley. These two new classes will impact our younger years.

“For those sixth- and seventh-year students, three new classes are being introduced provided they have the required OWL grades. Healing has Archibald Brooks who is on secondment from St Mungo’s, who hopes to mentor the newest generation of Healers straight into our premier hospital. Angela Butler will be teaching Duelling and Mercy Shafiq will be teaching Magical Craftmanship.

“As I mentioned before, the packets explain everything, so please, take your time after this meeting to review the documents provided and bring any questions you have to our next meeting which will be in a week. As we are instituting many changes in the middle of some students educations, there will be some bridging measures and I anticipate the next couple of years will be filled with teething problems with the new courses and the adjustments to the existing courses. We must all be patient and work together to try and keep everything operating optimally and provide support to those students who are in need.

“Those staff who were here at the last meeting will recall that I requested copies of your syllabi; I have completed my review of the core subjects. Please read carefully through my comments and recommended changes and if you have any issues, please schedule a meeting with me so that we may discuss them.”

She paused to hand out the packets to the core teachers and Severus quickly flicked through the packet, immediately seeing the changes she wanted lined up with his expectations. No poisons, no love potions. Antidotes were permitted to be left in provided he didn’t work with any active substances. He would not be complaining overly much about this one. He could easily substitute a few minor healing potions, maybe the pepper up and a headache cure would be appropriate.

“For those staff who have submitted the syllabi and not received them back, I will organise a meeting with you this week to return them. The rest of you, I require a copy of your syllabi before the staff meeting this time next week.” She waited for the staff to acknowledge her request, casting a steely eye around the room.

“Alright, were there any questions, issues that you anticipate, things to discuss? Our Prefects and Head Boy and Girl have been appointed; we will be meeting with them the week before school commences to discuss the Hogwarts Express protocols.”

* * *

The next week slipped by for Harry, he and Hermione began spending more and more time together, hiding out in Regulus’ room to ignore the jealous and angry looks from Ron and Ginny. Harry didn’t tell anyone about the Heir rings except Hermione who promised to keep it a secret. He discovered though, that he couldn’t take them off. Hermione taught him a minor glamour, and blushed when he asked how she knew it, to cover them up.

With the Black Heir ring on his finger, Harry could get into the Black library which the pair of them relished as no one else except Sirius had access, and Sirius never thought to look for them there. They found so many horrific books and after Hermione had singed her fingers on a particularly nasty tome, they were careful what they touched.

Harry selected a few books to take with him that were definitely not light but weren’t dark either. He made sure to be careful to leave anything that leant itself to darker magics. He had a sneaking suspicion that anything dark would be confiscated once he returned to Hogwarts.

The papers had been… disconcerting. Dumbledore was beginning to tighten the noose on anything considered dark. A Sponsorship program had been instituted for ‘Dark’ creatures. The employer would have to sponsor the creature, ensuring that they were performing adequately in their job, were living cleanly and abiding by the law. If the employer was unwilling to sponsor the ‘dark creature’, they couldn’t get a job. While on the surface, this was a blessing, Harry could see how easily it would go terribly wrong.

Laws were beginning to be passed which had heavier penalties for those who traded in anything considered illegal which, while lauded as keeping the wizarding world safe, would result in massive issues for many businesses who even dabbled in ‘dark’ products. Even the Weasley twins would have to ditch a few of their product lines so that their shop wouldn’t be penalised. Their entire WonderWitch range had to be scrapped as it was all based on now illegal love potions. Harry expected that by this time next year, Knockturn Alley would either be shut down, or taken over by light businesses.

Harry hadn’t heard from the Twins at all over the break and his heart hurt from their abandonment. While Grimmauld was filled with the Weasleys, the Twins were notably absent. Bill and Charlie had an excuse for their continued absence, being that they both lived and worked overseas, the Twins worked and lived in Diagon Alley.

In contrast, Harry had been corresponding with Neville who had also been a good friend to him in the absence of Ron’s presence in his life. Their letters were filled with discussions on Herbology and Harry used it as an opportunity to teach Neville about Potions. While the other boy would not be taking the course any longer, it was still useful and he would need to improve his understanding of the course if he intended to pursue an apprenticeship in Herbology.

Tomorrow, Hermione and Ron were flooing to Hogwarts for the Prefect meeting in the lead up to School commencing in a week. McGonagall had opened the floo in the Headmistresses office for the day to make it easier for the Prefects and Heads to come and go. Harry planned to spend the day locked away in Regulus’ room, reading through his books and selecting which ones he wanted to take.

His library section of his trunk was starting to fill up with all of his previous textbooks, his new books, those books that he had pilfered from the Black library and now Regulus’ textbooks too. Hermione had ordered a second Library section instead of a general section in her new trunk. The first Library had already been filled with all of her books and she was starting in on her second section, much to his amusement.

Their relationship had improved in leaps and bounds since the confrontation in Diagon Alley. Harry had gently reprimanded her a few times when she started getting too bossy or demanding and she had settled down. He could almost see something in her relax, it seemed that her worrying about him and Ron performing had forced her to act outside her nature and now that she didn’t have to, a weight was lifted. They were growing ever closer and Harry was beginning to see her as the sister he had always wanted.

He hoped they would have the chance to sneak away to the muggle side of London before they had to return to Hogwarts, Hermione had mentioned that she thought she could figure out how to make one of the muggle portable CD players work at Hogwarts with some weird combination of Runes.

* * *

With a sigh, Harry continued poking dissolutely at his dinner, something in it tasted off and his Potter ring kept turning cold every time he touched his glass of juice. Ginny was watching him uncomfortably closely, so he forced himself to raise the glass to his mouth, banishing a mouthful before setting it back down. He did the same with the food, banishing it from his mouth and pretending to chew. He was hungry, but nothing seemed safe for him to eat. He would have to sneak down late tonight to prepare a snack for himself. Thankfully, he had taken his nutrient potion, so he wasn’t in dire straits just yet.

Perhaps he should make some meals for tomorrow too so that he wouldn’t have to leave Regulus’ room. But then, if he did that, Sirius would come barging in, demanding what Harry was doing with his dead brothers’ stuff, the brother that had been a Death Eater. Harry had found Regulus’ journals and knew how conflicted the other man had been about his service as a Death Eater.

He had also discovered that Regulus had had a relationship of a kind with Snape, which filled him with longing and envy. On one hand, he desperately wanted to read and re-read the passages detailing their relationship. On the other, it felt like an invasion of Snape’s privacy; if the man wanted him to know, he would tell the story. He was ashamed to admit, even if it was only to himself, how much time he spent fantasizing and masturbating to thoughts of Snape.

Harry found he related to Regulus’ struggle with obligations to his family and the desire to do and be what he wanted. He had been coached and encouraged into serving the Dark Lord when all the Slytherin had wanted to do was go into wand crafting. It was a painfully familiar story of someone too young being pressed into service to an ambivalent master.

He blinked and twitched; Hermione had poked him in the side. Flicking his eyes up to her, he frowned. “What?”

“You haven’t been listening at all have you Harry?” Hermione asked, exasperated.

He flushed a little. “No, sorry, lost in thought.”

Ron snorted, shovelling more food into his mouth and glaring at him. Harry rolled his eyes and returned his attention to bushy-haired brunette next to him.

“What are you going to do tomorrow?” She asked, her expression fond.

Harry shrugged. “Probably read some more. I want to get a couple of chapters in on the rest of my new textbooks. I started reading Ancient Runes last night and found I really like it. I seem to understand it easily.”

“Oh yeah?” Hermione lit up. “How so? I like Ancient Runes but prefer Arithmancy. I’ll be able to help you study for both if you want. What about Ancient Runes attracts you?”

Harry took deep satisfaction in ignoring Ron’s darkening expression as he abandoned his food, turning fully to Hermione to begin explaining how Runes just seemed to click for him.

* * *

Hermione and Ron had left just after breakfast, deeply discomforted by Ginny’s possessive gaze, Harry retreated to his room and settled in with his Arithmancy text. Barely half an hour had slipped by when he heard a quiet knock on the door before it eased open. He tensed, wondering if Sirius was going to appear to yell at him again, but Remus’ head poked around the edge.

“Hey Harry, mind if I come in?” The wolf queried quietly.

“Sure Remus, what’s up?” Harry set aside his book, shuffling over so that the older man could sit down on the bed near him.

“Nothing really, I wanted to check on you, see how you were doing. Molly has taken over the kitchen again and I didn’t want to listen to her arguing with Sirius about the state of the house again before I have to leave for Hogwarts.” He laughed and Harry couldn’t help but join in.

“I’m fine, looking forward to going back to Hogwarts, moving on with my life and all that you know?” Harry paused for a moment, realising this was probably the best opportunity he was going to have. “Remus, there was something I wanted to ask about.”

“Of course, Harry, anything.”

Harry could only smile tightly at the offer. “As you know, after Christmas, I had to take Occlumency sessions with Snape.” The wolf nodded and gestured for him to go on. “Well, during the course of the year, I found some… information that didn’t seem to fit and I wanted your opinion on it.” His chest tightened a little at the twist to the truth but not overly much.

“What did you find out Harry?” The older man’s tone was flat and tired, as if he knew what was coming.

“Did you and the rest of the Marauders bully Snape?” Harry blurted out finally.

Remus’ eyes were weary as he rubbed a hand over his face. “At the time we didn’t see what we were doing was wrong, but on reflection, yes, we were bullies. I never actively participated in the harassment of Snape, but I did stand by and failed to intervene. 

“From the first, Sirius took a loathing to Snape, and when James found out that Snape was friends with Lily, the pair teamed up to make his life miserable. James was very… entitled, he saw your mother and from age eleven, decided he was going to marry her. Unfortunately, he saw Snape as a rival for her affections. From what I could see, there was nothing more than friendship between the pair, but James was blinded by jealousy. 

“Sirius, I don't know why he hated Snape, the only explanation I have been able to come up with was that his Black Madness manifested itself in a previously unforeseen variation. Peter was never clever enough to truly participate, he was always the lookout, the cheerleader, the support person for their pranks. He was the type to hold someone while Sirius and James hit them.

“I carry an immense amount of guilt, especially for the later years when I was a Prefect and should have intervened in some capacity. Instead, it was more important to me to keep the few friends I had happy and close to me, even at the expense of someone else. I will say though, when Sirius sent Snape after me on a full moon, I did refuse to acknowledge him for the next year. Unfortunately, I think it was all too little too late, James and Sirius were now convinced they could get away with whatever they wanted with little to no repercussions. James eventually managed to grow up a little and catch the eye of your mother. Once she agreed to marry him, he settled down further and became a wonderful father once you were born. Unfortunately, Sirius never had that opportunity and his stint in Azkaban has only halted his mental and emotional growth.”

Silence settled between the pair. Remus looked exhausted, admitting what he saw as some of his worst failings; Harry mulling over the new information.

“Have you ever apologised to him?” Harry asked finally.

“Apologised to who?” Remus seemed genuinely confused by the question.

“Snape, did you ever apologise for standing by as he was bullied?” The youth persisted and Remus blinked in surprise.

“No, it never occurred to me.” The wolf admitted finally.

“Perhaps you should, it might be late, but you are going to have to spend at least the next year working together. He might be a little less abrasive to you if you admit that you were wrong to stand by and permit James and Sirius’s behaviour like you did.” Harry suggested, he knew there was never a chance that Snape would be friends with Remus, but at least they might be able to be cordial as colleagues.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is a short final chapter for this part, I'll post the first chapter of the next as well.
> 
> A little bit of gratuitous smut, but nothing overly exciting.

* * *

Severus was tired. He had finally, fully restocked the potions for the Hospital Wing, Poppy at least was grateful. He had also completed yet another batch of potions for Dumbledore. These ones had more of a binding bent, and he was quite sure some were illegal. There was one that limited a persons magic when an amulet was coated in it and worn. If consumed, it bound all of the wearers magic and was irresversible. He was horrified to imagine how the potion would be used but long years of serving the Dark Lord had taught him that asking questions was a recepie for disaster.

He had reviewed his syllabus, making the adjustments Minerva had requested and checked his personal and student stores. Today the Prefects and Head Boy and Girl had visited for their meeting. Tomorrow he would have to go to the Apothecary to select what he needed to replenish his stores.

He was sitting by the fire in his rooms, nursing a glass of Firewhiskey and mulling over all the changes that had happened, particularly since the Dark Lord had been defeated. Unconsciously, he trailed fingers over his bared forearm, the skin unblemished. For years he had been able to feel the ink and magic twisting and coiling under his skin. Even when the Dark Lord had been dormant, the mark had remained, faded, but still there, lingering persistently.

A weight had been lifted when he realised, he no longer had to serve an insane master. Unfortunately, he had sworn himself to another man, one that seemed to be slowly treading down an eerily similar path. While Dumbledore was not Dark, would never commit the crimes against nature that the Dark Lord did, he was still the other extreme of the same coin. Did these power-hungry men not realise that progress lay between the extremes? It lay in finding a balance between the light and the dark, not in eradicating one or the other.

People would always rebel if they were confined. Nature would always seek a balance when it was pushed too far in one direction. So far, everyone had been too relieved to have the Dark Lord gone for good. They were content with Dumbledore finally leading the way, as they had begged since Grindelwald. Severus had a sneaking suspicion that Dumbledore had convinced himself originally that moulding the newest generation was where the power lay, which was why he had ended up being Headmaster. This time though, he was going right for the throne, setting himself up as Minister following the defeat for the newest Dark Lord.

While Riddle had already been going down the path towards becoming a Dark Lord, Dumbledore certainly never tried to stop or prohibit the man. Perhaps Dumbledore had realised his mistake once the Dark Lord began rising to power and decided to let it go, riding in to save the day at the last minute. Except his thunder had been stolen by an infant.

Dumbledore had to have known that the Dark Lord would rise again. So he had placed Potter with his detestable relatives rather than anywhere else and created for himself a perfect sacrificial lamb. The Dark Lord had risen as predicted, but Potter had defeated the Dark Lord too soon. He had been too well prepared. Severus couldn’t help but smirk, it was his fault that Potter had succeeded so soon. Dumbledore had immediately had to adjust his plans, sweeping the youth aside and stepping into the limelight.

And now, Dumbledore was working to shape the wizarding world into the image he wanted.

With a mental huff at his own thoughts, Severus set aside his contemplations of Dumbledore, instead focusing on the fire and the taste of firewhiskey as it slipped down his throat. Realising he was warm, he slipped out of his robes, stripping down to his white cotton shirt and black slacks. Slumping back in his chair, he refilled his glass and continued sipping until the world was a little fuzzy around the edges and thought no longer became an issue.

Reaching down, he fumbled his flies open, extracting his semi-hard cock and luxuriated in stroking himself to firmness. Now that the stress of being a spy was over, his libido had returned in a big way. He had never struggled to find bedfellows but had never permitted himself to develop anything resembling a real relationship, it would have been too risky. The only one he had gotten close to had been Regulus, but that had ended once Severus had been marked. He cast his mind back, thinking of his favourite lovers, remembering the feel of their skin under his hands, the heat of being seated deep in someone else's body.

Severus tightened his grip, moaning softly, the warmth of the fire playing over his skin. It was a poor substitute for the real thing, and he couldn't help but hope that perhaps he might have the opportunity to venture forth once more and find someone to keep him company for an evening.

He could feel his orgasm building, tightening through his gut, warmth coiling through him. His movements became hurried as he rushed towards completion, eyes slipping shut as memories played behind his lids. Just as he was reaching, striving, edging towards release, a flash of green eyes and thick hair flashed through his mind. Supple scarred skin and a lithe body, soft lips in a chaste kiss.

Severus came with a shout, muscles tightening as he splattered his release over his hand and clothes. He spent a few moments floating in bliss before coming down.

He had just orgasmed to thoughts of Harry. Severus groaned and slumped into his chair. He was fucked, well and truly.

* * *

In the few days he had left before returning to Hogwarts, Harry made an effort to spend time with Sirius. It became readily apparent that the man still wasn't entirely recovered from his stint in Azkaban even with the Mind Healer appointments. The man would swing alarmingly from childlike enthusiasm to dark despair. Harry was also convinced that being trapped in Grimmauld was not helping either.

Inspiration struck when Harry walked into the sitting room one evening after dinner two days before his return to Hogwarts. Remus was sitting quietly in an armchair by the fire reading and Sirius was curled up on the hearth as Padfoot. The professor was gently rubbing his socked foot against the dogs’ side as it stared into the fire.

Plonking down into the chair next to him, Harry cast a silencing charm around the pair of them, making sure to exclude Padfoot.

"Remus, if we leave Sirius here, he will lose what's left of his mind, kill himself or go out and get himself killed. What if you took him to Hogwarts as your pet dog? Even if he had to stay as Padfoot most of the time, it would still be better than if we left him here."

Harry watched as relief washed over the older man face.

"I don't know why I didn't think of that! I've been so worried about leaving him behind with no one else for company. I'll ask McGonagall tomorrow first thing. She knows he is innocent and as long as I promise he will behave and stay as Padfoot I don't see why she would say no."

Harry smiled, relieved the man had taken him seriously. With a huff, he slipped to the floor, lying down by the hearthstone. Padfoot immediately wriggled over, draping himself half over Harry. Tucking one arm behind his head, the other gently pet the dog’s ears as he gazed quietly into the fire. The only sounds the crackling of the flames and Remus turning a page in his book.

Harry relished in the warmth bubbling in his chest. Perhaps this was what it felt like to have family, of a sort. His relationship with Remus had been improving in leaps and bounds. The man still seemed to struggle with the abuse Harry had experienced, refusing to accept that Dumbledore had been aware of it. Harry didn’t have enough proof that the new Minister had been, so left the matter alone, instead relishing in having someone fill a mentor like role in his life.

When the opportunity arose, they had enjoyed discussing defence and obscure spells, Remus especially enjoyed telling him about how, for the twelve years between Harry’s parents death and his return to Hogwarts, he had travelled the world, earning his Defence Mastery in America and then spending time learning from different Masters scattered around the globe. His stories sparked something deep inside Harry, a yearning to see the world, to travel and explore and experience the world.

He sighed, allowing his thoughts to drift aimlessly. While he was worried about Padfoot, he felt the best course of action was taking him to Hogwarts, there, the man stood a chance of recovering, of growing into the man he should have been before Azkaban. He was worried about returning to Hogwarts, hopefully he could have a year where nothing happened, where no one would care about him, but the niggling worry existed that he would never find peace, never find freedom from the shackles of his life.

Shaking the thoughts away, he resolved not to worry about it, there was no benefit after all. Instead, he focused on the flickering flames and the feel of Padfoot’s soft ears under his fingertips.


End file.
